Abstract In the preliminary design phase of supersonic aircraft, rapid iteration of aerodynamic characteristics is crucial. To reduce dependence on time-consuming CFD analyses, a prediction tool for aerodynamic heating was developed. The goal was to create a tool that accurately estimates aerodynamic heating on aircraft surfaces during conceptual design. Using analytical solutions and experimental correlations, the tool calculates wall temperature, heat transfer coefficient, and heat flux for geometries like wedges, cones, and flat plates. Implemented in MATLAB, it provides both time-dependent and steady-state predictions for subsonic, transonic, and supersonic aircraft. The tool accounts for various shock configurations, focusing on detecting detached shocks, critical for cone-shaped structures. It models components such as noses (cone), leading edges (wedges), and wings/fuselages (flat plates) under high-velocity flow conditions. Validated against CFD analyses and flight test data, the tool ensures reliability, offering significant time and cost savings. For example, while a CFD analysis took 130 hours, the tool delivered results in just 1-3 minutes. Shock angle and temperature differences between the tool and CFD analyses were minimal, with a maximum temperature difference of 2% at Mach 3. These results confirm the tool’s effectiveness and practicality for supersonic aircraft design.
Keçeci et al. (2025) studied this question.